Pakistan plunged into fresh political crisis on Sunday as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf launched a long march toward Islamabad after marathon negotiations with the federal government collapsed over a bitter dispute about counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi departed from Lakki Marwat’s Gandi Chowk to lead the march, announcing that PTI would reveal its next steps on October 8 when the convoy reaches Khairabad. Party workers from across southern KP districts gathered in large numbers as a heavy police presence surrounded the area.
The breakdown came after four rounds of talks that stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning, with both sides blaming each other for the failure. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused Afridi of sabotaging the negotiations at the last moment, claiming that 99 percent of issues had been resolved before the KP chief minister demanded last-minute changes to the draft agreement.
“Unfortunately, the KP chief minister tried to sabotage the negotiations,” Naqvi told reporters in Lahore, warning that Afridi would be held responsible if anyone lost their life during the march. He said he had taken a finalized draft to President Asif Ali Zardari, only to return and find the provincial government had inserted new demands.
PTI leaders offered a sharply different account. Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the talks failed because the federal government insisted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must unconditionally accept all counterterrorism operations launched unilaterally by Islamabad, without consultation with the provincial assembly or local stakeholders.
“The PTI-TTAP team stood firm on its position that anti-terrorism actions in KP would be based on agreement between the federal and KP governments, framed on consultation with all political parties represented in the KP Assembly,” Raja said in a statement.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser added that the opposition had also demanded access to jailed party founder Imran Khan before any agreement could be finalized, but the government refused to include that provision in the draft.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman expressed frustration at what she called a reckless squandering of an opportunity to reduce political tensions. She said the government-PPP negotiating team had repeatedly asked for KP government representation at the talks, but provincial officials never appeared until the final hours.
“I have never in my 25 years in parliament seen such a reckless squandering of an opening to begin political confidence-building measures,” Rehman said.
According to government sources, the draft agreement had required the KP government to unequivocally condemn the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups, support the repatriation of Afghan refugees, sever contact with the Afghan Taliban regime, and provide substantial funding for counterterrorism operations. The provincial government had initially agreed to these terms, Naqvi claimed, before reversing course.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah warned that the long march would not be allowed to enter Islamabad and that any attempt to create disorder would be met with the full force of the law. He said the government remained willing to resume talks if PTI agreed to cooperate on counterterrorism.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar launched sharp attacks on PTI, accusing the party of double standards on terrorism and using consultation as a delaying tactic. Tarar questioned why the KP government had not participated in federal Apex Committee meetings or condemned the Afghan Taliban regime.
The PTI convoy is expected to camp near Karak on Sunday night before moving toward Kohat, Peshawar, and Charsadda in the coming days. Afridi said supporters from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would converge at Khairabad on October 8.
The march is aimed at demanding the release of Imran Khan and what PTI calls the restoration of constitutional supremacy. The government has deployed heavy security and warned that all participants who violate the law will face prosecution.
The collapse of talks marks a dangerous escalation in Pakistan’s political standoff, raising fears of violent confrontation and further instability at a time when the country faces mounting economic and security challenges.
